Cataract Surgery: How long is too long

[jasonleon]

So I've been told my cataracts are progressed in one of my eyes while my other eye is less progressed.

I'm looking at DVA:
OD: 20/70
OS:20/25
Autorefraction:
OD: -5.00-0.75x085
OS:-1.00-0.75x066


I was told my eye glass prescriptions were off and my worse cataract (right eye) has progressed, while my left is still okay. Is there a way if I take these numbers and interpret it in a sense of whether it'll be okay for me to push my cataract surgery back vs. having it done soon taking into consideration that it might ripe too much and cause complications? These results are from my optometrist, many opthamologists that I went for a cataract eval said I had .5 astigmatism in the left eye and 1.00 in the right. So not sure which is more accurate.

I was told if I get new eye glass prescriptions, I would be able to pass a drivers test, not sure how good or bad that is indicating my current vision is with cataracts. (I can still drive now in the mornings since my left eye is doing most of the work, not sure if that'll cause the left eye to eventually progress more like the worse right eye).

Main concern is, how bad is my right eye now and will I put myself at risk for the cataract hardening too much if i wait? (I have to get spine surgery done as well and recovery will be at least a few months, so I'm considering whether to have the right eye done first or to wait after).

Also does anyone have any experiences living with only having cataract surgery on one eye? I don't want to lose my left eye accommodation so I was considering doing one. But if I get one eye corrected for distance then the natural eye would be left myopic and I suppose I would be functioning as monovision if only one eye is done?

[JohnHaganMD]

=